The Mistress Memoirs

January 28, 2013
Hunter returns to the Boscastle family (The Duchess Diaries) by locating a long-lost black sheep, Sir Colin Boscastle. Colin inserts himself into the household of his former lover, Georgette, now a well-known courtesan, to seek revenge on a vile man who poisoned Colin’s father and is currently supporting Georgette’s lavish lifestyle. To Colin’s surprise, he discovers it is not Georgette with whom he sparks, but rather her children’s governess, Kate Walcott. Kate has spent years painstakingly drafting Georgette’s soon-to-be-published memoirs, so she knows all about Colin’s rakish reputation and attempts to maintain a proper distance rather than giving in to her attraction. This engaging Regency enjoys swift action and amusing scenes—particularly Kate’s efforts to direct home theater starring Georgette’s staff—but Colin’s rationale for spending 13 years seeking his enemy is convoluted and improbable, and occasional purple prose (“His phallus looked like polished wood”) distracts rather than enhancing this lightweight romantic mystery.

March 15, 2013
When Kate Walcott had nowhere to go, Georgette Lawson, an infamous courtesan, took Kate in, in exchange for taking care of her children and helping to write her memoirs. Now, Georgette's past is catching up to her, mostly in the form of her first lover, Sir Colin Bocastle, and if Kate can sift through the abandonment, betrayals and murder, she may just find the love of her life. After an employer assaults and disgraces Kate, she stumbles into the carriage and household of Mrs. Georgette Lawson, a courtesan who was abandoned 13 years ago by the rake who'd promised to marry her. Recently settled into the home of Mason Earling--Georgette's most recent lover, who is out of town--the family is startled when they are attacked by disapproving villagers, then rescued by a take-charge individual who turns out to be Colin Bocastle, the fiance who betrayed her. Colin has spent the intervening years chasing down the man he believes murdered his father--Mason. Colin is determined to force a confession and enlists the aid of a skeptical Georgette and Kate. Waiting for Mason to return, Colin spends time in the household and falls for Kate, who is clearly the sun in whose light everyone thrives. He also discovers secrets about his past, Georgette's torrid history and facts about his family's business that shed some new light on his father's murder. Having been an angry lone wolf for most of his adult life, he is stunned to learn that it's not only Georgette who feels betrayed and that perhaps, with Kate's help and guidance, the time has come to reconcile with loved ones and heal some deep wounds. Hunter's newest Bocastle Affairs novel is a complex, layered historical romance with a subtle mystery that informs all of the characters in unexpected ways and creates internal and external conflicts that keep the pages turning and the reader engaged. The relatively large set of characters and the complicated plot are handled skillfully, tying up all the details in satisfying ways, while creating a believable, touching romance between a wounded hero and the perfect woman to save him. A textured, intelligent plot yields a gratifying romance.

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